Women's basketball assistant coach Earl W. Cowell recently passed away at home surrounded by family. He was 84 years of age. He is survived by his wife Julia, their three children, and four grandchildren. Cowell joined the UC Santa Cruz staff in 2010 and served as a volunteer coach for 13 years.
 
"I was up in the gym after completing my first season, and I saw this tall gentleman and his wife peering through the doors of the West Gym," recalled Head Coach Todd Kent. "I opened the door and introduced myself. He said he just moved to Santa Cruz, his daughter Elizabeth Cowell was the UCSC Librarian and he was looking for a place to play basketball. We started talking about basketball, and it turns out back in the day he played football and basketball at Xavier University. As we discussed his experience I immediately recognized the contributions he could offer our program and asked if he would help coach."
 
Cowell's professional career was in Human Resources Leadership. Coach Kent said Cowell's skill set and knowledge of the game left an indelible impact on the program.
 
"Earl had a lot of experience working with people. He was really good at understanding relationships," Kent recalled. "His HR experience was involved in athletics and fitness, so he knew how to get the best out of people and evaluate what they needed in terms of interpersonal relationships and developing leaders. Earl's fingerprints are all over the program's success the last 12 years." 
 

One of the techniques Cowell used was introducing a book to the team each year and over time developing a curriculum in terms of getting student-athletes to understand program building.  "He was my mentor and helped me gather a deeper understanding of growing leaders," continued Kent. "Earl was such a huge influence, and was really good at helping me develop a deep understanding of what it takes to be successful."

A lifelong sports enthusiast, Cowell played basketball all his life, and won a gold medal at the 2019 FIMBA World Championships as part of the United States over-80 team. His decades of basketball knowledge and experience grounded his coaching style with a focus of flawless execution of the fundamentals. Coach Cowell's calls to "REBOUND!" are instilled in every athlete he coached.

Coach Cowell and his wife were gracious in sharing their home as a space for the team to come together - beloved holiday dinners and end of year celebrations were always capped with Coach Cowell's famous homemade cookies. 

Cowell also dedicated himself to being a volunteer for the community. He helped start the "honorary coach" program, where a community member was invited to be a part of the coaching staff, sit on the bench and give the pregame speech. His connections in the community led to a myriad of community leaders participating in the program and developing new relationships with the University. He also volunteered as a docent at Henry Cowell State Park and as a Board Member for Senior Legal Services of Santa Cruz county.
 

The program instituted the Earl Cowell Service Award in 2019 for the student-athlete who embodies a commitment to service of their community. This award reflects the legacy Earl leaves to the program – a deep commitment to the community and the people around him.
 
A celebration of life for Coach Cowell will be held on September 3rd in Santa Cruz. Those interested in attending should contact rememberingearl2023@gmail.com by 8/25 for details.